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Accrual Accounting Process: Part II15.511 Corporate AccountingSummer 2003
Professor S.P. KothariSloan School of ManagementMassachusetts Institute of Technology
June 14, 2003
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Agenda for Today
Continue with the accrual processIntuitionMechanics
Too many slides and a lot of details! Some of these are for self-study and for recitations
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Cash Flow Versus Accrual AccountingCash flow accounting
Measures performance by comparing the cash inflows of a certain time period to the cash outflows of that period (e.g., cash flow from operations).
Accrual accounting Measures performance by comparing revenues (which are recognized when the earning process is complete) with expenses (which are recognized when assets are consumed or liabilities are created).Geared toward periodic performance measurement that is not skewed by investment, financing, and long-horizon operational activities
Cash Flow Versus Accrual Accounting
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Accrual accounting Based not only on cash transactions but also on credit transactions, barter exchanges, changes in prices, changes in form of assets or liabilities, and other transactions.Records events that have cash consequences for an enterprise But does not require a concurrent cash movement in order to record a transaction.
Cash Flow Versus Accrual Accounting
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Over the entire life of a corporation, total “income” under cash flow and accrual accounting is the same.However, cash receipts in a particular period may largely reflect the effects of activities of the enterprise in earlier periods.Similarly, many of the cash outlays may relate to activities and efforts to be undertaken in future periods.The matching principle in accrual accounting addresses this limitation of cash flow accounting.
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Cash Flow Versus Accrual Accounting
Isn’t cash flow more important than earnings?What cash flows are important?
Future cash flows!When compared to current cash flows, current earnings are more highly associated with future cash flows
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Cash Flow Versus Accrual Accounting
Stock price = Present value of expectedfuture cash flows.
What is “Present Value?” Changes in stock prices = f(changes in expectations about future cash flows).When compared to cash flows, earnings have a stronger association with stock prices.Earnings are superior indicators of expected future cash flows.
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Accounting Earnings versus Stock PricesTop management’s incentive compensation is usually linked to stock prices and accounting earnings.Why not link it to stock prices alone?
Stock prices are affected by economic factors that are outside of a manager’s control (e.g., macroeconomic, political factors).Consequently, stock prices may be a poor indicator of managerial performance.Combining both mitigates this problem
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Accounting Earnings versus Stock Prices
A second reason for using accounting earningsExpected versus delivered performance
Firm X hires manager Y on December 31, 1997.Stock price of X jumps by 10%! Why?Market’s expectations regarding the company’s future performance improve.Accounting earnings of 1998 increases by 10%!
Why?Manager Y’s actions produce an actual improvement in the financial performance of X in 1998. Stock prices anticipated this improvement in 1997 at the time of the earnings announcement.
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Accounting Earnings versus Stock Prices
By combining stock prices and earnings to reward managers, a firm can reward a manager for his/her strategic planning and operational execution.Of course, stock prices do reflect the deliveredperformance of the manager as well.
But if payment is on the basis of expected performance, then what do you do if the manager shirks subsequently? (Moral hazard problem)Earnings provide a straightforward measure of delivered performance.
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Accrual Accounting and Periodic Adjustments
Accountants record exchange transactions.But this does not capture all economic activities.Periodic adjusting
Required to record activities that have taken place, but which have not yet been recorded.To reduce accounting costs
Some economic activities may be continuous in nature. The effect of such activities are accumulated over a period and then recorded periodically rather than continuously, e.g., consumption of stationary.
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Accrual Accounting and Periodic Adjustments
In many cases, assets and liabilities are created or discharged without the occurrence of a visible, documented exchange transaction
Interest is earned continually on a bank savings account as time passesMachinery depreciates as it is used in a company's operations.
Periodically, adjusting journal entries are made to record these effects.
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Accrual Accounting and Periodic Adjustments
Adjusting entriesMade whenever financial statements are prepared. Why?Adjusting entries are designed to
Correctly compute periodic income Correctly show balances of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
Will there be a need for adjusting entries if a corporation prepares only one income statement for the period covering its whole life?
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Periodic Adjustments
Characteristics of an adjusting journal entry:matching of expenses and revenuesinvolves at least one temporary (revenue, expense, or dividend) account and at least one permanent (asset or liability) account.never involves the cash account
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sFour ways that recognition and cash do not coincide
TimeBalance Sheet Date
Pay Cash Recognize Expense
TimeBalance Sheet Date
Pay CashRecognize Expense
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sFour ways that recognition and cash do not coincide
TimeBalance Sheet Date
Receive Cash Recognize Revenue
TimeBalance Sheet Date
Receive CashRecognize Revenue
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Types of Periodic Adjustments
Expense or Revenue before CashExpense incurred today, but cash paid tomorrow.
Salary earned by employees but not paid at the end of accounting period.Employees earn salary when they perform their duties, not when they receive payment.Unpaid salary is a Salary Payable liability
Revenue earned today, but cash received tomorrow
Interest earned today, but cash received tomorrow.Interest is a reward for lending money, so it is earned with passage of timeInterest receivable asset
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Types of Periodic Adjustments
Cash before accruing Revenue or Expense (Cost Expirations or Revenue Expirations)Cash paid yesterday, Expense incurred today.
1998 rent paid in advance in 1997Rent paid in advance asset
Cash received yesterday, revenue earned today Cash advance from customer for services not yet performedCash advance is Unearned Revenue liability
Matching is the guiding principle in periodic adjustments.Objective: To match the revenue earned in a period (whether received in that period in cash or not) with all the expenses incurred to earn that revenue (whether paid in that period in cash or not).
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Accruals (Accrue Today, Cash Tomorrow)
Accrued WagesEmployees of Sloan Enterprises are paid at the end of each week. The total weekly payroll is $10,000, which is earned at a rate of $2,000 per day for each of the five working days.Assume December 31 falls on a TuesdayBooks are closed (financial statements are prepared) on that December 31.
On December 31Sloan Enterprises has incurred wage expense for two daysBut will not pay it in cash until January 3rd of the next fiscalyear.
Accruals (Accrue Today, Cash Tomorrow)
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Periodic adjustment on December 31Assets = Liabilities + Owners’ Equity
Wages Payable Retained Earnings
+4,000 -4,000Dr Wage Expense (-RE) 4,000
Cr Wages Payable (+L) 4,000Effect of omitting this journal entry?
Liabilities are understated by $4,000Retained earnings & Net income overstated by $4,000
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Accruals (Accrue Today, Cash Tomorrow)
What would you see on the balance sheet as of 12/31?
Wages Payable $4,000 under LiabilitiesWhat would you see on the income statement for the year ended 12/31?
Wage Expense of $520,00052 Weeks x $10,000 per week
Without the adjusting entryWage expense would have been $4,000 less.Expense would have been understatedNet income overstated
Accruals (Accrue Today, Cash Tomorrow)
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$10,000 paid on Jan. 3 of next year.Assets = Liabilities + Owners’ EquityCash Wages Payable Retained Earnings
-10,000 -4,000 -6,000Dr Wage Expense (-RE) 6,000Dr Wages Payable (-L) 4,000
Cr Cash (-A) 10,000What would be the balance in the T-account for Wage Expense on January 3rd?
$6,000
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Accruals (Accrue Today, Cash Tomorrow)
Consider the $10,000 paid to the employees.Where and How would it show up in the financial statements?
Period 1 Period 2Cash Flow StatementOperating cash flow -10,000Income StatementWage expense (-RE) -4,000 -6,000
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Accruals (Accrue Today, Cash Tomorrow)
Accrued InterestOn December 1, U.S. Bank loans $24,000 to Stone Corporation at an annual interest rate of 10%. Books are closed on December 31 Stone Corp. pays U.S. Bank in full (principal and interest) on January 31 of the next year.
Assets = L + OECash Loan Receivable-24,000 +24,000Dr Loan Receivable (+A) 24,000
Cr Cash (-A) 24,000
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Accruals (Accrue Today, Cash Tomorrow)
Where would you see this in the cash flow statement of U.S Bank?Investing out flow of $24,000On December 31, U.S. Bank has earned one month’s interest on the loan given to Stone Corp.
Interest earned = 24,000 x 10% x 1/12= $200.
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Accruals (Accrue Today, Cash Tomorrow)
Periodic adjustment on December 31Assets = L + Owners’ EquityInterest Receivable Retained Earnings
+200 +200Dr Interest Receivable (+A) 200
Cr Interest Revenue (+RE) 200Effect of omitting this journal entry?
Assets are understated by $200Retained earnings & Net income each understated by $200
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Accruals (Accrue Today, Cash Tomorrow)
How much cash will U.S. Bank receive on January 31 of the next year?
$24,000 -- amount lent to Stone Corp. (principal)Plus $400 as interest for 2 months
Although a single check may be issued, let us consider it as two transactions.Assets = L + OECash Loan Receivable+24,000 -24,000
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Accruals (Accrue Today, Cash Tomorrow)
Assets = L + Owners’ EquityCash Int. Receivable Retained Earnings+400 -200 +200Dr Cash (+A) 400
Cr Interest Receivable (-A) 200Cr Interest Revenue (+RE) 200
Two elements to the journal entryExchange of one asset for another assetRecord revenue earned and cash received
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Accruals (Accrue Today, Cash Tomorrow)
Effect on cash flow and income statementsPeriod 1 Period 2
Cash Flow StatementInvesting cash flow -24,000 +24,000Operating cash flow +400Income StatementInterest Revenue +200 +200
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Cost Expirations (Cash Yesterday, Accrual Today)
Supplies Inventory During 2000, Greener Pastures, Ltd. purchases (for cash) supplies in the form of spare parts to support the manufacture of farm machinery at a total cost of $700. The company began the year with $500 in the supplies account.
Assets = Liabilities + OECash Supplies-700 +700
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Cost Expirations (Cash Yesterday, Accrual Today)
On December 31, a count reveals that supplies in the amount of $300 remain on hand.Supplies Used = Beg. Inv. + Purchases - Ending Inventory
= $500 + $700 - $300 = $900Assets = L + Owners’ EquitySupplies Retained Earnings-900 -900Dr Supplies Expense (-RE) 900
Cr Supplies Inventory (-A) 900
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Cost Expirations (Cash Yesterday, Accrual Today)
Supplies Account
Beg bal 500 900 Supplies expense
Purchases 700
Ending Inv 300
Supplies expense of $900 is the adjusting entry and the corresponding debit is to Retained Earnings (i.e., expense on the income statement that affects retained earnings).The Ending Inventory of $300 appears on the balance sheet (and it serves as the ending inventory for the current fiscal period and beginning inventory for the following fiscal period).
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Cost Expirations (Cash Yesterday, Accrual Today)
What shows up in the cash flow statement?The cash paid during the year for purchase of suppliesOperating outflow = $700
What shows up in the income statement?The cost of supplies consumed during the yearSupplies expense = $900
What shows up in the balance sheet?Ending balance in Supplies of $300
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Cost Expirations (Cash Yesterday, Accrual Today)
Prepaid ExpensesOn January 1, 1999, Crimson Inc. purchased a $1,000 insurance premium for a two-year periodJanuary 1, 1999Assets = L + OECash Prepaid Insurance-1,000 +1,000Dr Prepaid Insurance (+A) 1,000
Cr Cash (-A) 1,000
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Cost Expirations (Cash Yesterday, Accrual Today)
What happens during 1999?One-year’s worth of insurance protection expires
How to record this in financial statements?Assets = L + Owners’ EquityPrepaid Insurance Retained Earnings-500 -500Dr Insurance Expense (-RE) 500
Cr Prepaid Insurance (-A) 500Effect of omitting this journal entry?
Assets are overstated by $500Retained earnings (income) overstated by $500
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Cost Expirations (Cash Yesterday, Accrual Today)
Reporting in Financial Statements?1999 2000
Operating cash out flow (-) 1,000Insurance expense (-RE) 500 500
What shows up in the balance sheet as of 12/31/99?Assets: Prepaid Insurance $500
Why is this an asset?Represents one-year’s worth of insurance protection for 2000 available to the company
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Cost Expirations (Cash Yesterday, Accrual Today)
Are we not getting insurance protection every day? Why wait till December 31 to record the expense?
Cost-benefit trade offFinancial statements are prepared quarterly for investors and monthly for firm’s management.The adjusting entries may be recorded more frequently.
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Cost Expirations (Cash Yesterday, Accrual Today)
Pre-received revenuesUnearned revenue Fees received in advance Customer advances Subscription received in advance, etc.
Magazines Unlimited receives $5,000 during 2000 for magazine subscriptions to be fulfilled during 2000 and 2001. Assume that as of the end of 2000 Time had fulfilled 60% of the subscriptions.
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Cost Expirations (Cash Yesterday, Accrual Today)
$5,000 received during 2000Assets = Liabilities + OECash Unearned Revenue+5,000 +5,000Dr Cash (+A) 5,000
Cr Unearned Revenue (+L) 5,000What happens to this liability at the end of 2000?
Decreases by 60% because Magazines Unlimited delivers magazines in 2000.
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Cost Expirations (Cash Yesterday, Accrual Today)
Assets = Liabilities + Owners’ EquityUnearned Revenue Retained Earnings
-3,000 +3,000Dr Unearned Revenue (-L) 3,000
Cr Subscription Revenue (+RE) 3,000Effect of omitting this entry?
Liabilities are overstated by $3,000Retained earnings (income) understated by $3,000
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Cost Expirations (Cash Yesterday, Accrual Today)
Effect on financial statements?2000 2001
Operating cash inflow (+) +5,000Subscription revenue (+RE) +3,000 +2,000What do you see in the balance sheet as of 12/31/2000?
Liabilities: Unearned Revenue = $2,000Represents the obligation for unfulfilled journal subscriptions.
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Cost Expirations (Cash Yesterday, Accrual Today)
DepreciationDewey, Inc. invests $10,000 in a quality control equipment on January 1, 1990. Dewey’s management estimates initially that the equipment would last for ten years and would be scrapped thereafter.
Assets = L + OECash Equipment-10,000 +10,000Dr Equipment (+A) 10,000
Cr Cash (-A) 10,000
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Cost Expirations (Cash Yesterday, Accrual Today)
Where and when would you see the $10,000 in the cash flow statement?
Investing cash outflow of $10,000 in the year of paymentDewey paid for the equipment in 1990, but the equipment provides benefits for 10 years.What does matching principle suggest?
Apportion the $10,000 as an expense over the 10 year periodDepreciation expense
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Cost Expirations (Cash Yesterday, Accrual Today)
Depreciation is allocating (or expensing) the cost of a long-lived asset over its estimated useful life.How much to allocate to a given period as depreciation expense?
Several methods are allowed under GAAP (Discussed later in the course).
One common method is straight lineEqual apportionment of the cost over useful life
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Cost Expirations (Cash Yesterday, Accrual Today)
Depreciation expense for each year = $1,000At the end of each year, what do we do?Assets = L + Owners’ EquityEquipment Retained Earnings-1,000 -1,000If we repeat this ten times over the next ten years, what would be the balance in the T-account for Equipment
Zero
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Cost Expirations (Cash Yesterday, Accrual Today)
How does the $10,000 show up in the cash flow and income statements?
Periods 1 2 3 ...... 10
Investing outflow (-) 10,000 0 0 …… 0Depreciation Exp. (-RE) 1,000 1,000 1,000 ... 1,000Over a firm’s entire life, would net income be equal to its operating cash flows?
No, operating cash flow does not include the outflow for equipment whereas net income is computed after subtracting depreciation expense
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Cost Expirations (Cash Yesterday, Accrual Today)
How to record depreciation expense?Equipment Retained Earnings-1,000 -1,000One possibility is Dr Depreciation Expense (-RE) 1,000
Cr Equipment (-A) 1,000However, this is not GAAP.What might be the potential limitations of this approach?
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Cost Expirations (Cash Yesterday, Accrual Today)
Consider two CompaniesCompany A Company B
Equipment 10,000 10,000Instead of this disclosure, let us consider an alternative approachEquipment (cost) 100,000 20,000(-) Depreciation to date (90,000) (10,000)Net Book Value 10,000 10,000What do you learn from the second approach?
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Cost Expirations (Cash Yesterday, Accrual Today)
How do accountants record depreciation?Dr Depreciation Expense (-RE) 1,000
Cr Accumulated Depreciation (-A) 1,000Acc. Dep. is a contra (negative) asset accountDecreases in assets are creditsSo, Acc. Dep. has a credit balance
Represents the cumulative depreciation on an asset Informs the user about the age of the asset
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Cost Expirations (Cash Yesterday, Accrual Today)
Balance sheet presentation after one year.Equipment (original cost) 10,000(-) Accumulated Depreciation (1,000)Net Book Value 9,000Balance sheet presentation after ten years.Equipment (original cost) 10,000(-) Accumulated Depreciation (10,000)Net Book Value 0Does this make sense?
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Cost Expirations (Cash Yesterday, Accrual Today)
Yes, if the asset remains in use.Sometimes fully depreciated asset may still be used.
However, if the equipment is scrapped after ten years, how do we record it?
Eliminate it from the books Dr Acc. Depreciation (+A) 10,000
Cr Equipment (-A) 10,000What remains on the books? Equipment 0(-) Accumulated Depreciation 0Net Book Value 0
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Summary
Accrual accounting can be confusing! Understand the logic behind it and it will be clear.
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